Chlorine dioxide is known for its deodorizing ability whereby odoriferous chemicals are oxidized to compounds which have essentially no odor. Such compounds include, for example, aldehydes, amines and thiols which are oxidized respectively to alcohols or acids, nitro compounds or various intermediates such as nitroso compounds, and to disulfides or oxides of sulfur.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,104,190 to Hartshorn discloses a solid composition capable of generating chlorine dioxide when dissolved in water, the solid composition containing sodium chlorite and a chlorine release agent. When dissolved in water, the chlorine species provided by the chlorine release agent reacts with the chlorite to form chlorine dioxide. Suitable chlorine release agents include sodium N-chloro-p-toluene-sulfonamide, and sodium dichloroisocyanurate. In an alternate embodiment, a chlorite-free solid composition containing the chlorine release agent may be added to an aqueous solution of stabilized sodium chlorite, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,123,521 to Wentworth, et al. In a preferred embodiment, the solid composition also contains an effervescent agent.
Recently, U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,747 to Alliger (U.S. Pat. No. Re. 31,779) proposed the incorporation of lactic acid in an aqueous sodium chlorite composition, the lactic acid lowering the pH of the aqueous media to less than about 7, thereby promoting the formation of chlorine dioxide. The patent states that it is preferable to form the composition by admixture of a sodium chlorite-containing portion and a lactic acid-containing portion within 48 hours of use, for optimum germ-killing effect. To this end, U.S. Pat. No. 4,330,531, also to Alliger, discloses applicators whereby the chlorite portion and the lactic acid portion may be admixed at the time of use. The '531 patent discloses compositions for acne treatment, soaps, and toothpaste.
Another two-part composition is disclosed in Mason, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,193, which comprises a first part containing stated concentrations of dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid, a phosphate ester, hexamethylene glycol, hydrochloric acid, sodium xylene sulfonate, and water, and a second part containing an aqueous solution of sodium chlorite and sodium xylene sulfonate. The first and second parts are diluted with water.
Kenjo, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,192, discloses a two-composition cleaning system for contact lenses wherein free oxygen is released when a composition containing a chlorite salt, in aqueous solution, and a solid composition containing solid acid or organic acid salt, an oxygen-consuming agent, and polyvinyl pyrrolidone are combined. Reducing sugars may be included with the solid composition part. Suitable solid acids are tartaric, citric, lactic, malic and gluconic acids.
Chlorine dioxide when released may be employed as a deodorant and, if released in sufficiently high quantities and under carefully controlled conditions as an agent for killing bacteria and other infectious agents.
Chlorine dioxide is extremely effective as an odor eliminator even at concentrations in air as low as 0.01 ppm or lower. At concentrations appreciably above this level it is offensive to the olefactory system and, at sufficiently high concentrations, toxic.
It is a principal object of this invention, therefore, to produce chlorine dioxide at levels which are sufficiently high to eliminate odors but not sufficiently high to be toxic.
It is a further object of this invention to produce chlorine dioxide at levels which are sufficiently high to be germicidally effective.
It is a further object of the invention to produce such levels of chlorine dioxide in a controlled manner so that the continuity of production can be interrupted when desired and continuous production thereafter resumed.
A still further object of the invention is to provide compositions and devices for achieving the foregoing objects.
In practice, the inventions described and claimed herein when utilized for reducing odors, will be employed to eliminate a variety of odors such as pet odors and trash can odors. They are particularly useful when employed as room deodorants especially for the elimination of smoke odors from the atmosphere and from soft surfaces including fabrics such as the fabrics in upholstery, carpets, curtains and drapes.